Non-fiction

1. Stalingrad by Antony Beevor
2. Berlin by Antony Beevor
3. Accustomed as I am by Basil Boothroyd
4. Dancing With Mister D: Notes on Life and Death by Bert Keizer
5. But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory by Cynthia Freeland
6. Electric Dreams: Designing for the Digital Age by David Redhead
7. Aeneid Audiobook lecture series by Elizabeth Vandiver
8. The Anglo-Saxons: How They Lived and Worked by G.A. Lester
9. How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom
10. Raw Spirit by Iain Banks
11. The Great Rebellion. by Ivan Roots
12. Virgil by Jasper Griffin
13. Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski
14. Stranger on a Train by Jenny Diski.
15. In Defence of Global Capitalism by Johann Norberg
16. The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson
17. Clubbed Class by Jon Ronson
18. The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter
19. How to Travel Incognito by Ludwig Bemelmans
20. How to Read a Painting: Decoding, Understanding and Enjoying the Old Masters by Patrick de Rynck
21. (Teach Yourself) Roman Civilization by Paula James
22. By the Sword by Richard Cohen
23. The Shock of the New. by Robert Hughes
24. Defying Hitler: a Memoir. by Sebastian Haffner
25. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
26. If Symptoms Persist by Theodore Dalrymple
27. Blockbuster by Tom Shone
28. One Hit Wonderland by Tony Hawks,
29. Warped Factors: A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe by Walter Koenig

SF

1. The Well of Stars by Robert Reed
2. The Snow by Adam Roberts.
3. Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
4. Iron Council by China Mieville
5. Down and out in the magic kingdom by Cory Doctorow
6. Ilium by Dan Simmons
7. Olympos by Dan Simmons
8. The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
9. The Spellcoats by Diana Wynne Jones
10. Wilkin's Tooth by Diana Wynne Jones
11. Leningrad Nights/How the other half lives by Graham Joyce/ James Lovegrove
12. The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
14. Worldstorm by James Lovegrove
15. Memory by Linda Nagata
16. Pel and the Pirates by Mark Hebden
17. Thraxas by Martin Scott
18. Thraxas and the Dance of Death by Martin Scott
19. Thraxas and the Elvish Isles: by Martin Scott
20. Thraxas and the Warrior Monks by Martin Scott
21. Thraxas at the Races by Martin Scott
22. Jennifer Government by Max Barry
23. Star Dragon by Mike Brotherton
24. Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve
25. Down the Bright Way by Robert Reed
26. Sister Alice by Robert Reed.
27. The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny
28. Babel 17 by Samuel R. Delany
29. Exultant by Stephen Baxter.
30. The Runes of the Earth by Stephen R. Donaldson
31. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
32. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Other fiction

1. Cecil Day Lewis translation of Aeneid by Cecil Day Lewis, Virgil
2. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
3. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre
4. From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
5. John Dryden translation of the Aeneid by John Dryden, Virgil
6. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: by Michael Chabon
7. Democracy by Michael Frayn
8. Brick Lane by Monica Ali
9. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
10. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
11. Pompeii by Robert Harris
12. Always outnumbered, always outgunned by Walter Mosley

Comics

1. Promethea 1 by Alan Moore
2. Promethea 2 by Alan Moore
3. Promethea 3 by Alan Moore
4. Promethea 4 by Alan Moore
5. Promethea 5 by Alan Moore
6. Smax by Alan Moore
7. Supreme: The Return, by Alan Moore
8. Supreme: The Story of the Year by Alan Moore
9. Swamp Thing (Alan Moore run) by Alan Moore
10. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol 2 by Alan Moore
11. Tom Strong 3 by Alan Moore
12. Tom Strong 4 by Alan Moore
13. Top Ten 1 by Alan Moore
14. Top Ten 2 by Alan Moore
15. Maus by Art Spiegelman
16. Batman: War Drums by Bill Willingham, Andersen Gabrych
17. American Splendor by Harvey Pekar
18. Son of Superman by Howard Chaykin,
19. Life and Death of Spiders by J.Michael Straczynski:
20. Hellblazer 1-20 by Jamie Delano, John Ridgway
21. Superman: No Limits! by Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly
22. Superman for All Seasons by Jeph Loeb
23. Astro City: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek
24. Batgirl: fists of fury by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott,
25. Superman: red son by Mark Millar
26. Spider-man: Coming Home, by Michael Straczynski.
27. Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman
28. The Last Man: One Small Step by Pia Guerra, Brian K. Vaughan
29. Asterix and Son by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
30. Asterix and the Actress by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
31. Asterix and the Cauldron. by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
32. Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
33. Asterix and the Goths by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
34. Asterix and the Laurel Wreath by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
35. Asterix in Belgium by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
36. Asterix the Gladiator by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
37. Asterix the Legionary by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
38. Obelix and Co. by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
39. The Mansions of the Gods by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
40. Superman: Last Son of Earth by Steve Gerber
41. Batman black and white by Various

Unfinished

1. Hy Brasil [unfinished] by Margaret Elphinstone
2. Kafka on the Shore [unfinished] by Haruki Murakami
3. History of the Rebellion [unstarted] by Clarendon

Highlights
Non-fiction: easy choice. "In Defence of Global Capitalism" by Johann Norberg is the most passionate, fact-packed and informative polemic I've read in years. Whether you agree or disagree, if you haven't read this you have no right to hold an opinion on the subject.

Mainstream fiction: small field this year, but "The Plot Against America" by Philip Roth would have won by a mile anyway. Beautifully balanced book that works brilliantly on every level: personal, political, historical, satirical.

SF: harder choice without anything really outstanding this year. Sequelitis and repetition are the problem: there are good books there, but they mostly recapitulate earlier books by the authors. "The Well of Stars" is good but not as good as its predecessor "Marrow"; "The Runes of the Earth" was the event of the year but mostly just a bridge between the Second and Third chronicles; "Iron Council" doesn't add that much to "Perdido Street Station" or "The Scar". I suppose "Worldstorm" by James Lovegrove has to take it, for good characterization, a bleak vision, and an original, high-concept world.

Comics: can't really give it to "Maus" since I covered volume 1 beforehand. "Smax" was the one I enjoyed most: even though it's light, small-scale stuff it's just very well done. Not much point reading it if you haven't read Top Ten vols 1 & 2 though.